Union minister advocates reservation for STs in private sector

New Delhi | Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste on Friday advocated reservation for Scheduled Tribes in private sector and increasing the ST quota in government jobs.

Kulaste, who is the Union Minister of State for Welfare and Family Planning, also said that issue of reservation should be brought under Ninth Schedule of the constitution, which will help the topic escape from judicial review.

However, Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs batted for a “middle path” saying reservation alone cannot solve the problems and empowerment of tribals is required.

“There should be a provision of inducting members of the Schedule Tribes in the Board of Directors of banks. At this point of time this provision does not exist,” Kulaste said.

He said there should also be a provision of having certain level reservation for vice-chancellors in state and central universities.

Kulaste was speaking at a seminar on Workshop on reservation in politics, education and service matters.

Interestingly, Oram said that PMO was initially in not in favour of organising a workshop, but wanted consultation on the issue at regional levels. However, the Tribal Affairs Minister said, organising a workshop would have helped in gathering divergent views over the contentious issue.

The workshop saw emergence of divergent views on the topic with some experts advocating increasing the scope of reservation in private sector.

Kulaste said the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government deserves credit for extending reservations to schedule castes, schedule tribes and other backward classes, both at the Central and state level.

Oram said over a period of time, reservations in Parliament for STs have increased from 41 to 47 and from 532 to 544 in State Legislatures.